Display apparatus



Sept 21, 1937 H. WHITE ET A1. 2,093,746

DISPLAY APPARATUS Filed Nov. l0, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet l any ATTORNEYS Sept. 21, 1937. H. WHITE ET A1. 2,093,746

DI S PLAY APPARATUS Sept. 21., 1937. H. WHITE ET Al.

DIS PLAY APPARATUS Filed NOV. 10, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Heal' j, YM, M,

sept. 21, 1937. H. WHITE ET AL 2,093,746

DISPLAY APPARATUS Filed Nov. l0, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 L ./74 1 .5. 72m ,V

i 73 L i .s 9956 sept. 21, 1937. H, WHITE ET AL 2,093,746

DISPLAY APPARATUS Filed NOV. l0, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 00 WW1/65g w @w I Q3 f00 :5%

1 .lllj 1/50, ff/ ff? lf3 ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 21, 1937 UNITED STATE Attali@ PATENT GFFIQE DISPLAY APPARATUS Application November 10, 1934, Serial No. 752,452

9 Claims.

Our present invention while capable of a Wide range of usefulness is primarily concerned with improvements in the general type of display apparatus disclosed in the copending application of Henry White Serial No. 677,842, filed June 27, 1933, and which has become Patent No. 2,042,815 of June 2, 1936.

The display apparatus is particularly intended for advertising purposes and is of the type in l which a `series of images are successively automatically projected upon a screen.

The present invention has certain objects in common with the invention disclosed in the prior application above identied, notably the proi'5 vision of va device in Which the size of the image on the screen may be varied while continuously maintaining the image in proper focus, thereby to obtain an illusion of motion tending to draw attention to the sign, the provision of a sign 20 in which the images of a plurality of advertising or display devices are successively projected on the screen and caused to vary in size, the provision of an optical system for effecting the magnifcation or diminution of the image Without variation of the distance between the object and the screen; the accomplishment of the foregoing results by reciprocally compensating lenses moving within a narrow range; the provision of such an apparatus in which the screen itself forms part of a relatively compact box or casing housing and concealing all of the mechanism.

More specific objects of the present invention are to greatly simplify the construction of the lens operating mechanism and the object shifting mechanism, to decrease the cost of manufacture, to render the construction simpler, more practical, more rugged and fool-proof, to reduce the number of parts required 'and to decrease the space required for accommodating the lens system, the slides or other objects, and the operating mechanism for the lens system, and the objects, yet at the same time permitting a great many more object members or slides to be accommodated in the machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic mechanism which, in addition to varying the size of the image on the screen, permits the image to dwell for a period of time without magnication or diminution. Preferably the image appears on the screen at minimum magnification, its size is increased to maximum magniiication and the the dwell occurs when the magnication is at its maximum.

Another object of the invention is to conceal from the observer the change of objects to be projected, by the use of an intermittently acting shutter mechanism which blacks out one slide preferably while the latter is at maximum magnification and which exposes the next slide preferably when the latter is Iat minimum magnication.

Another object is to simplify the construction of all of the operating parts by the provision of a master cam which controls the lens movement, the movement of the slides and the movement of the shutter.

Another object is to provide a slide magazine and feeding arrangement which not only accommodates a large number of slides in `a relatively small space but which may be very conveniently unloaded and recharged with new sets of slides as required.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fully automatic motor driven mechanism of this character which consumes but a small amount of electrical energy in operation.

Another object is to provide a simple, rugged individual slide holder to permit the ready interchange of slides and which fully protects a slide mounted therein despite casual or careless handling of the holder.

The invention may be more ful/ly understood from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings, Wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective View of the enclosing casing and projection screen oi?y one of our improved display units,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional View on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational View of the mechanism contained within the casing, the casing itself being omitted,

Fig, 4 is a sectional plan view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2 with the screen plate for the light source omitted,

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view through the slide mechanism and associated parts, taken approximately on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 6 is a Vertical sectional detail through the mechanism, taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5,

Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical sectional detail on the line 'I l of Fig. 8 illustrating the manner in which the lifting fingers engage one stack of slides.

Fig. 8 is a sectional plan view of the bottom of the slide magazine taken on the line 8 8 of Fig. 5,

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the slide magazine with parts broken away, this view being taken on the une 9 9 of Fig. 5, 55

Fig. 10 is a sectional plan view of the mechanism taken on the staggered line IU-IU of Fig. 5,

Fig. 11 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the slides and its associated carrier frame showing these members in disassociated relations p7 Fig. 11a is a further enlarged broken longitudinal sectional View through the assembled slide and carrier frame,

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the master cam,

Fig. 13 is a plan view of the master cam, and

Fig. 14 is a detail through one of the columns showing the springs for holding the rollers of the lens carrying mechanism in contact with the cam.

The casing A suitable type of cabinet C for housing and concealing all of the mechanism involved is illustrated in perspective in Fig. 1 and in Vertical section in Fig. 2. This cabinet includes a fixed bottom I0 and a xed top section II connected by rigid side wall forming sections I2. The upper portion of the front wall I3 of the cabinet denes a framing aperture I4 in which is accommodated a projection screen I5 of any suitable material. Preferably a hood member I6 is associated with the screen to shield the latter to some extent, from external light and thus render more vivid the image which is projected on the screen from the light source within the cabinet yor casing.

The rear wall I1 of the casing, the downwardly inclining rear portion I8 of the top wall of the casing and side wall extensions I9 are integrally connected together and constitute a hngedly movable unitaryl section which may be swung upwardly about the hinges 20, thereby fully exposing all of the mechanism from the rear of Y the cabinet. Any suitable means may be utilized for retaining this swingable section in open position as for instance conventional bayonet-slotted straps 2I pivoted on the swingable casing section, the bayonet slots 22 coacting with the fixed studs 23 on side walls I2 (Fig. 2).

General structure Referring more particularly to the mechanism which is housed within the cabinet, this mechanism is supported upon a hollow base plate or casting 24. A suitable light source such for instance as the lamp 25 housed within a lamp casing 26 is supported above the base casting on a rod 21 adjustable within the sleeve 28 xed with respect to the base casting. The light source and its housing may be entirely conventional, the lamp being backed by reflector 29, the light from the source being projected toward the rear of the casing through a system of filtering lenses 30 and the lamp being completely screened by the casing which may include a conventional cover 3| designed to afford suitable venting. Resistances 32 for the lamp may be advantageously mounted in the bracket 33 of which the post 28 forms a part.

As a further safeguard against any direct rays from the light source reaching the screen I5, an inclined opaque partition member 34 is preferably interposed between the light source and the screen.

Rising from the base 24 are a pair of spaced relatively tall front standards 35 and directly rearwardly of these standards and also rising from the base are a pair of shorter standards 35.

A pair of still shorter standards 4I rise from the base laterally and forwardly of standards 36. Adjustably connected in any suitable fashion to the upper ends of standards 35, 36 is an inclined mirror bracket 31 mounting a mirrror 38, the images projected on such mirror being reflected directly upon the screen I5.

All of the operating mechanism is actuated or controlled through the intermediacy of a master cam indicated generally at M, and illustrated in perspective in Fig. 12 and in top plan in Fig. 13. A driving motor 39 supported upon a bracket 40 carried by one of the rear standards 36 and one of the standards 4I, drives a belt 42, the latter in turn driving a pulley 43 on a horizontal shaft 44 journaled in the base casting 24. As best seen in Fig. 5, the base casting mounts a relatively massive rigid vertical stud member 45 upon which a relatively large gear 46 rotates, this gear being driven from a worm 41 on the shaft 44 and serving through suitable connections about to be described, to drive the master cam M. 'Ihe driving connections between the gear and the master cam include a sleeve 48 rotating on a bearing 49 carried by the stud 45. This sleeve has a clutching engagement as indicated at 50 with the hub 5I of the gear 46. Rigidly xed with respect to the sleeve 48 is the disk-like bottom 52 of the master cam M, the other component parts of which will be more fully hereinafter described.

Slide magazine Fixedly secured upon the stud 45 immediately above disk 52 is a block 53 for supporting the slide magazine. A pin or screw 54 working through the block and into a notch 55 in the stud 45 secures the block in place. The slide magazine is in the form of a casting 56 (Figs. 5 and 6). This casting provides a pair of spaced vertical rectangular hollow columns 51 and 58 within which the slides 59 are accommodated. Three sides of the columns 51 and 58 are dened by the casting and the open rear sides of the columns are closed by a removable back plate 60 (Fig. 6) which is clamped against a web 6I of the casting by a thumb screw 62. The casting rests upon a bottom plate 63 which is cut away to accommodate for the sliding movement of the raised end 64a of the lower slidable pusher or shuttle plate 64, the latter being operable to remove the lowermost slide from the column 51 and advance it toward the column 58.

The tops of the columns 51, 58 are closed by a top plate 65, the latter having a central opening 66 therein covered by a transparent window 61.

The casting affords a forwardly facing inclined support web 68 upon which is mounted a mirror 69, this mirror being disposed at a 45 angle with respect to the horizontal casting and being arranged directly under the opening 66 and directly opposite the lenses 36 which are associated with the light source. Thus light from the source is reflected on the mirror 69, thence upwardly through the window 66 at which one of the translucent slides 59 is exposed, thence through the relatively movable, reciprocally compensating lenses 16 and 1I which will be more fully hereinafter described and onto the mirror 38 which projects the image of the slide upon the screen I5.

Between the top plate 65 and the uppermost slide in the column 58 is disposed an upper pusher or shuttle plate I12 which as will be more fully hereinafter described, is slidable to a retracted position as a stack of slides in the column 5B is elevated and then thrust forward to push a new slide under the window 6B.

Slidable in a groove in the underside of the plate 65 is a shutter |713, this shutter being adapted to intermittently black out images projected upon the screen. The shutter carries a pair of springs |14 (Fig. 5) which exert Aa downward pressure on the stack of slides in column 5l but which are yieldable, as a slide which has been under the Window is thrust into the upper end of column 5l by shuttle |12.

l In order to elevate the stack of slides in column 58 so that a new slide may be introduced under the bottom of the stack, there are provided a 15 pair of lifting nngers 89, 89 (Fig. 8) movable through slots 99, 99 in the bottom plate G3 of the slide magazine. These lingers are carried by vertically extending arms 9| which pass through suitable openings or notches 92 in the top plate 65 of the magazine.

Means is provided for normally urging the stack lifting fingers 89 downwardly, such means including a post 93 rising from magazine top plate 95 and upon which is slidable a cross head 99 connecting the upper ends of arms 9i. A coiled expansion spring 95 encircling the reduced post 93 and reacting against an adjustable tensioning nut 96 screwed onto the post, normally tends to depress cross head 94 and with it the rods 9| and the fingers 99 which they carry. When this cross head is in retracted position, the master cam cooperates with the springs 95 to effect a non-positive lift of the stack ci slides in the column 58. For this purpose, a horizontally disposed bracket 9i is xed to the bars Si and at its outer end carries a roller 98 held against the master cam by spring 95.

False back plates 99 (Figs. 9 and l0) arranged in the respective columns 5l and 58 are fixed to studs |99 working through openings lill in the rear walls of the columns. Coiled expansion springs |92 encircling the studs and reacting against the outside of the columns engage the heads of the studs to normally hold the false walls in the position illustrated in Fig. .1.0. To dislodge a complete stack of slides it is merely necessary to remove the rear plate 99 of the magazine and thrust the studs itil) forwardly against the action of their springs, thereby dislodging all of the slides from the columns.

In order to retain the stack of slides in the column 58 in elevated position after the entire stack has been lifted by fingers 89 and before a new slide has been pushed under the stack by the shuttle plate 94, the lowermost slides of the stacks are engaged by spring pressed plungers |99 working through the rear wall of the column .58. These plungers travel in sleeves i913 integral with the casting of which the columns form a part. The plunger actuating springs |95 are housed within these sleeves and tension on the springs is adjusted by plugs |08 screwed in the ends of the sleeves against the springs.

Lens mounting The lenses 'll and 'l2 are supported in lens With one of the surfaces of the master cam M. Similarly, the sleeve T6 by which the lens l2 is indirectly carried, carries a bracket 89, this ybracket being vdisposed below the bracket 'M and having a portion slidable on the post member 4| which forms part of the support for the motor platform 40. The vbracket carries a roller 8| for coaction with one of the surfaces `of the master cam. The purpose of the brackets l'i and 89 and their rollers '19, 8|, disposed about midway between posts 35, 4|, is to prevent the upward thrust of the cam on the rollers from tending to jam the sleeves 15 and 16 on the columns 35 and to assist in translating an upward lift of the master cam into a direct upward vsliding movement of the sleeves l5, 16 Without substantial wear between the sleeves and the posts which they encircle.

The lenses 1| and 'l2 are of the general type illustrated in the copending application of White above referred to, being reciprocally compensating, that is to say, the two positive lenses move simultaneously in opposite directions toward or away from a fixed point between the lenses, at different rates of speed so that the image upon the screen is maintained continuously in focus while magnication or diminution of such image is occurring. The construction of the lens actuating mechanism herein illustrated is such that the image first appears on the screen at low magnification. Its magnication is then increased by moving the lenses toward each other until the image occupies substantially the entire area of the screen. At this point the image dwells at full magnification; Then while the lenses are moving apart to effect diminution of the image, the image is blacked out by the shutter and when the shutter is again opened, a new slide has been presented and a new image appears on the screen at low magnification. However, the timing of the shutter operation may obviously be varied in accordance with the vparticular requirements of the trade or the shutter may be entirely omitted if desired. Likewise the present master cam is so designed that the lenses are restrained against movement from their position of maximum magnification for a short period. In other words, a fully magnified image is permitted to dwell on the screen. Likewise the dwell feature is of value independently of any shutter arrangement and the particular time at which the dwell occurs may be readily controlled as well as the number of times that a dwell occurs, by a simple modification of the master cam structure, the details of which we shall now describe.

While one of the supplemental posts iii is braced with respect to a rear post 9E through the motor supporting bracket 4|), the other post 9| may be similarly braced by a brace bar B2 having an eye portion 83 which encircles the rear post 36 and having an apertured end secured to the top of the post 4| by a bolt 84.

The sleeves. 75 and T6 are similarly mounted on their posts 35 and similar means is used for urging these lens carrying sleeves downwardly to maintain the rollers 19 and 8| in contact with operating surfaces of the master cam. Therefore the illustration in Fig. 14 of the manner in lwhich the sleeve 16 is guided and spring urged downwardly, will also serve as sufficient illustration of the mounting of the sleeve l5.

As illustrated in Fig. i4 sleeve 'l is provided with two xed internal collars or slide bearings 85 and 86. The post 35 has a collar Sl of 'diameter corresponding to the internal diameter .of the sleeve 16 fixed thereon. A coiled expansion spring 88 concealed within the sleeve 16 reacts against the collar 81 and through the intermediacy of the collar 85 tends to thrust the sleeve downwardly on the post 35.

Mechanism operated by master cam In addition to actuating the rollers 19 and 8| which control the motion of the reciprocally compensating lenses and actuating the roller 98 which controls the motion of the lifter fingers, the master cam likewise actuates the shutter |13 and the lower shuttle plate 64, and the latter through the intermediacy of a lever |01 actuates the upper shuttle plate |12. The lever |01 is pivoted intermediate its ends on a bracket |08 forming part of the magazine casting and has its respective ends disposed in slots |09 and ||0 in the lower shuttle plate 64 and the upper shuttle plate |12 respectively. Thus the movement of the lower shuttle plate in one direction acts through the lever to cause movement of the upper shuttle plate in the opposite direction.

A bracket xed upon the magazine casting at the sidev opposite the bracket |08 affords pivotal mounting for a lever I2. The lower end of this lever carries a roller ||3 for coaction with the master cam and the upper end of the lever extends through a slot ||4 in the projecting end ||5 of the shutter. A pin ||6 screwed into the magazine casting passes through a relatively large clearance opening ||1 in the lever 2 and a coiled expansion spring ||8 reacting against the head 9 of the pin urges the lever i l2 to the position shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings and thereby normally tends to maintain the film exposing opening of the shutter in registry with the window 66.

The master cam Fixed upon the disk 52 is a cylindrical member |2|, the upper surface of which coacts with the roller 19. This cam surface designated at 19a is horizontal throughout the greater portion of the circumference of the cam and the remaining portion of the surface takes the form of two inclined ramps or working cam faces 19a and 19a". As the roller 19descends the ramp 19a', the lower lens 1| will move downwardly and as it ascends the other ramp 19a, this lens will move upwardly through the intermediacy of the bracket 11, sleeve 15, bracket 13 and lens carrier 1|a.

Secured externally of the cylindrical cam element |2| is an arcuate cam |22, this cam resting upon a projecting ledge |23 afforded by the disk 52 and being secured as by screws |24 to the cam cylinder |2|. 'I'he roller 8| which actuates the upper lens 12 normally rides on the ledge |23 except when it contacts with the cam surface 8|a afforded by the upper edge of the cam member |22. Thereupon the roller is rapidly elevated and rapidly depressed, the respective inclination of the cam surface 8|a and of the cam surface 19a and 19a being indicative of the difference in the speed of movement of the two lenses as they are advanced toward or away from each other.

Secured against the inner face'of the cam cylinder |2| near the top of the latter is a generally semi-cylindrical band member |25 having a flat upper surface |26. The ends of a strip of spring steel 98a. are secured upon the flat surface |26 of the member |25 as by screws |21 and the intermediate portion of the. spring 98a is elevated by a coiled expansion spring |28 reacting against the surface |26. Upwardly bowed spring cam member 98a coacts with the roller 98 to elect intermittent elevation of the lifting fingers 89.

For actuating the shutter, a strip of material fi |3a is mounted on the inner face of the member |25, strip 3a having inclined ends at |29 and the strip ||3a. coacting with the roller ||3 to actuate the shutter |13.

Spindles |30 depending from the lower shuttle plate 64 at opposite sides of the block 53 carry ball bearing rollers I 3| and forming part of the master cam is a special cam structure coacting with these rollers to shift the shuttle plate 64 back and forth and through the intermediacy of the lever |01, shift the upper shuttle plate |12 back and forth. Disposed within the cam element |2| is a relatively low cylindrical member |32, said member having a flange |33 snugly fitting within the cylinder |2| and resting on a raised rib |34 of the disk 52. A cam member |35 fixed with respect to the cylinder |32 and projecting inwardly from the edges of said cylinder is supplemented by a movable cam member |36, the latter being pivoted at |31 in the member |32 and having its larger or trailing end spring pressed outwardly to a slight extent by coiled expansion spring |38. Member |36 forms in effect a leading end and movable section of cam |35, the purpose of making the end |36 of this cam |35 yieldable, being to prevent jamming of the cam faces |3|a and |3|b with respect to the rollers |3|, |3| Which depend from the lower shuttle plate 64.

Operations controlled by cam The top plan View of the cam (Fig. 13) shows the manner in which the roller 19 coacts With the cam faces 19a, 19a and 19a.; the manner in which the roller 8| coacts with its corresponding cam faces |23 and Bla; the manner in which the roller 98 coacts with its cam face 98a; the manner in which the roller ||3 coacts with its cam face |3a and the manner in which the cam faces |3|a and |3|b coact with rollers |3|.

As the master cam continues to rotate counterclockwise from the position of Fig. 13 the. leading pivoted end section |36 of cam |35 will engage the right hand roller |3| of Fig. 13 and through this roller, shift the shuttle plate 64 to the left. After Yanother half-rotation the leading end |36 will engage the left hand roller |3| of Fig. 13 and shift this roller back to the position illustrated in Fig. 13, thereby thrusting the shuttle plate 64 to the right (Fig. 5).

Through the intermediacy of the lever |01, the upper shuttle plate |12 is of course shifted to the right (Fig. 5) as the lower shuttle plate moves to the left and vice versa.

As the roller ||3 rolls up the ramp |29 the lower end of the lever I2 of Fig. 5 Will be moved inwardly and due to the extremely high leverage afforded, the shutter will be snapped to a position where the opening |20 is out of registration with the opening 66. As the roller ||3 travels down the ramp at the opposite end of the cam face ||3a, spring |I8 restores the shutter to its open position.

As the roller 98 rides onto the cam face 98a, the roller carrying bracket 91, the bars 9| and the lifting fingers 89 will all be elevated and as the roller 98 rides off of the cam surface 98a, the spring 95 will again depress the lifting fingers.

Relative advance of the lenses 1| and 12 toward each other is eifected by the movement of the roller 'i9 up the incline 79a at the same time that the roller 3| is travelling down the ramp Sla. During the time that rollers 'i9 and 8| are travelling on the cam Surface '19a and the ledge |23 respectively, the lenses will be held in fixed position with the image at full magnification on the screen. As the roller 19 starts down the ramp 'lga" and the roller 3| starts up the ramp sla, the lenses are moved away from each other to effect diminution of the image. During this movement of the rollers i9 and 8|, the shutter actuating cam ||3a has caused the shutter to screen the window 56 and during this movement also a new slide has been presented below the window 66.

Operation of slide shifting mechanism The operation of the slide shifting mechanism is as follows:-

That portion 64a of the shuttle Sil which normally constitutes the bottom of the stack of slides in the column l projects above the bottom plate 63 to a distance approximating the thickness of one of the rectangular slide members. The thickness of the shuttle plate |'l2 also approximates the thickness of one of the slide members. With the parts in the position of Fig. 5, one slide 59a is in position under the window 65. There is a Vacant space at the top of the stack of slides in column 5l and this stack of slides is being pressed downwardly by the springs |74 against the raised end 64a of the shuttle 64, such raised end thus constituting temporarily a bottom for the stack of slides in the column 57. The shuttle plate |72 meanwhile lies above the top of the stack of slides 59 in the column 58 and is in engagement with an edge of the slide 59a. which has been pushed into position under the window 65 by the last movement to the left of the shuttle 72. The bottommost slide in the stack of column 58 rests upon the bottom plate 63y and a slide 59h also rests upon this bottom plate in position to be thrust tothe right after the stack of slides in the column have been elevated to provide clearance for such movement.

Referring again to Fig. 13 it will be apparent that as the cam face I3 ib engages the right hand roller 3| and shifts the shuttle 64 fully to the left, the shuttle |712 will be shifted fully tothe right (Fig. 5). As the pushers reach these extreme positions, the stack of slides in the column 5'! will drop downwardly so that the lowermost slide of the stack occupies the position formerly occupied by the section 64a of the lower shuttle and the instant that the two pushers have reached their fully protracted position, the fingers 89 will engage and lift the stack of slides in the column 58 so that the topmost slide of this stack moves into the place formerly occupied by the pusher H2, it being borne in mind that the entire stack of column 58 is held in elevated position by spring plungers |53. The retraction of the slide members with the dropping down of the left hand stack of slides and the elevation of the right hand stack of slides occurs before the shutter is closed and without movement of slides 59a and 595. During the period when the shutter is closed the cam |365 will shift the left hand roller |3| back to the position of Fig. 13, thereby shifting the two shuttle members back to the position illustrated in Fig, 5. As the lower shuttle moves back to the right, the slide which has dropped down in advance of the section 64a is thrust to the position theretofore occupied by slide 5917, slide 59h being forced into the vacant space under the stack of slides in column 58. Meanwhile as the shuttle |72 shifts to the left, it engages the slide which had just been elevated into position before it, forcing this slide into position under window 66 and thereby forcing the slide 59a over to the top of the stack of slides in column 5l.

In other words, upon the retraction of each shuttle member a new slide is disposed in position to be actuated by it and through the interdiacy of these new slides, the slides 59a and ivo are shifted respectively onto the top of oneA stack and under the bottom of the other stack and their recent positions occupied by the slides which have just been advanced by direct thrust of the shuttles.

Throughout the specification we have referred to members 55 as slides, having used this term rather loosely to designate the assembled units illustrated in Figs. 1l and 11a. From the standpoint of the general operating mechanism it is merely necessary to provide a slide or a transparent or translucent picture or the like, so held that its carrier may be conveniently, mechanically shifted by the shuttle mechanism. In practice however we have designed a particular type of lm carrying assemblage for the purpose which consists of a lm holder element designated generally at H and a framing element designated generally at F, which securely, yet detachably, receives the lm holder and which itself may be conveniently shifted about by the shuttle mechanism of the machine. The frame F consists of a substantially rectangular, solid metal frame member l 55 having a.- pair of arcuate notches |5| in the ends thereof which extend downwardly from the top side of the frame and dene arcuate ledges |52 near the bottom of the frame. The notched ends of the frame are also provided at their top sidev with inwardly extending ledges |53, these ledges being intersected by notches |5| aforementioned.

The small picture carrying lm |54 is disposed between protective sheets of glass or other transparent material |55 and the laminated structure consisting of glass and lm is held together by channel-like spring clips |56 slipped over the ends of the assembled laminations. The intermediate portion of each of these clips is cut away to denne an outwardly extending spring tongue i5? projecting beyond the ends of the assemblage H.

To insert the member H into the' member F, the former is pushed upwardly through the bottom of the frame so that the tongues |51v snap over the ledges |52 and so that the ledges |53 block upward movement of the lm holder H. To release the parts from the assembled position shown in Fig. 1l a sharp pointed tool' is introduced into either of the notches |5I' and by forcing one of the spring tongues |51 inwardly the slide carrying holder H may be disengaged from the frame F.

In inserting the assemblage H from the bottom, a simple manual thrust on` the assemblage of course forces the spring tongues |57 inwardly until they have cleared the edges |52, whereupon they spring outwardly and lock the assemblage H within the assemblage F, the latter assemblage preferably exceeding in all dimensions the corresponding dimensions of the contained' assemblage, so that the frangible plates |55 as well as the flexible lrn between them are thoroughly protected from contact with the shuttle mechanism and from contact with adjacent slide assemblages.

The term slide as used therefore in the following claims is intended to embrace any unitary or multi-part assemblage which carries the picture or other device, the image of which is to be projecte-d upon the screen.

It will thus be seen that there is herein described apparatus in which the several features of this invention are embodied, and which apparatus in its action attains the various objects of the invention and is well suited to meet the requirements of practical use.

As many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A machine for projecting images upon a screen including a magazine adapted to receive object members, the images of which are to be projected, a light source, a reciprocally compensating lens system interposed between the light source and the screen and including lenses relatively movable to vary the size of a projected image while maintaining the image in focus, means for successively moving the objects into position for projection, a motor driven master cam cyclically actuating the lenses, said object shifting means being likewise actuated from said cam, a shutter mechanism interposed between the light source and screen, and means actuated by said cam for intermittently operating said shutter mechanism in synchronism with the movement of the lenses and objects.

2. An apparatus of the class described including a housing, one portion of the wall of which constitutes a projection screen, a light source within the housing, a projection system between the light source and the screen, a master cam, means including lenses movable to vary the size of an image on the screen while maintaining the image in focus, shifting means for successively interposing a succession of slides between the light source and the lenses, a shutter movable to expose or conceal a slide in position for projection upon the screen, shutter actuating means, and lens actuating means, and operative connections between both of said last mentioned means and the master cam.

3. An apparatus of the class described including a housing, one portion of the wall of which constitutes a projection screen, a light source within the housing, a projection system between the light source and the screen, including lenses movable to vary the size of an image on the screen while maintaining the image in focus, shifting means for successively interposing a succession of slides between the light source and the lenses, a shutter movable to expose or conceal a slide in position for projection upon the screen, a master cam, means driven by said cam for moving the slides, the lenses and the shutter, said cam being continuously motor driven and including means to restrain the lenses against relative movement during certain periods and to effect relative movement of the lenses in relatively opposite directions during other periods.

4. An apparatus of the class described including a housing, one portion of the wall of which constitutes a projection screen, a light source within the housing, a projection system between the light source and the screen, including lenses movable to vary the size of an image on the screen while maintaining the image in focus, shifting means for successively interposing a succession of slides between the light source and the lenses, a shutter movable to expose or conceal a slide in position for projection upon the screen, a master cam, means driven by said cam for moving the slides, the lenses and the shutter, said cam being continuously driven and including means to restrain the lenses against relative movement during certain periods and to effect relative movement of the lenses in opposite direction during other periods, said shutter being operative to black out the image during movement of the lenses from a position of full magnification to a position of minimum. magnification.

5. An apparatus of the class described including a housing, one portion of the wall of which constitutes a projection screen, means for supporting a plurality of slides within the housing, a light source within the housing, a projection system between the light source and the screen, including lenses for varying the size of an image on the screen while maintaining the image in focus, slide shifting means for successively interposing the slides between the light source and the lenses, a shutter movable to expose or conceal a slide in position for projection upon the screen, a master cam, means driven by said cam for moving the lenses, the slides, and the shutter, said cam being continuously driven and including means to restrain the lenses against relative movement during certain periods and to effect relative movement of the lenses in opposite direction during other periods, said slide shifting mechanism being operative to move the slides during periods when the shutter is closed.

6. An apparatus of the class described including a housing, one portion of the wall of which constitutes a projection screen, a light source within the housing, a projection system between the light source and the screen, including lenses movable to vary the size of an image on the screen while maintaining the image in focus, shifting means for successively interposing a succession of slides between the light source and the lenses, a shutter movable to expose or conceal a slide in position for projection upon the screen, a master cam, means driven by said cam for moving the slides, the lenses and the shutter, said cam including means to cause the image to dwell at maximum magnification on the screen.

7. An apparatus of the class described including a housing, one portion of the wall of which constitutes a projection screen, a light source within the housing, a projection system between the light source and the screen, including lenses movable to vary the size of an image on the screen while maintaining the image in focus, shifting means for successively interposing a succession of slides between the light source and the lenses, a shutter movable to expose or conceal a slide in position for projection upon the screen, a master cam, means driven by said cam for moving the slides, the lenses and the shutter, said cam including means to close the shutter during diminution of the image.

8. A machine for projecting images upon a. screen including a magazine adapted to receive object members, the images of which are to be projected, a light source, a reciprocally compensating lens system interposed between the light source and the screen and including lenses relatively movable to vary the size of a projected image while maintaining the image in focus, a shutter movable to expose or conceal an object member in position for projection upon a screen, means for successively moving the objects into position for projection, and a motor driven master cam, means driven by said cam. for moving the lenses and the objects, said cam being operable to only intermittently effect relative movement of the lenses, whereby the image at predetermined magnication intermittently dwells u-pon the screen, means actuated by said cam to close the shutter during movement of the lenses in one direction.

9. A machine for projecting images upon a screen including a magazine adapted to receive object members, the images of which are to be projected, a light source, a reciprocally cornpensating lens system interposed between the light source and the screen and including lenses relatively movable to vary the size of a projected image while maintaining the image in focus, a shutter movable to expose or conceal an object member in position for projection upon a screen, means for successively moving the objects into position for projection, and a motor driven master cam, means driven by said cam for moving the lenses and the objects, said cam. being operable to only intermittently effect relative movement of the lenses, whereby the image at predetermined magnification intermittently dwells upon the Y screen, means actuated from said cam to shift the slides while the shutter is closed.

HENRY WHITE. LOUIS W. G. FLYNT. 

